


Masters of Destiny

by Bobo_is_tha_Bomb



Series: Ever After series [5]
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Lemon, Lime, Reader Insert, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:40:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 21,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28268517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bobo_is_tha_Bomb/pseuds/Bobo_is_tha_Bomb
Summary: As one of Preventer’s top bodyguards, you never hesitate to protect those you are assigned to. You have kept numerous high profile politicians safe and faced danger and threats without blinking an eye. But your latest assignment is an entirely different story: the enigmatic Quatre Raberba Winner, one of L4’s most eligible bachelors, filthy rich, and good looking to boot. Being near him sends your senses into overdrive and makes you dream of things you hadn’t thought possible. The only problem? You ran away from L4 six years ago to avoid an agreement that your family made for you with the very man you are now supposed to protect. Torn between your growing feelings for him and determination to make your own destiny, you struggle to do your job to the best of your abilities. But with sparks flying between the two of you, it might be the greatest challenge you ever faced… QuatrexReader
Relationships: Quatre Raberba Winner/Reader
Series: Ever After series [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1373911
Comments: 10
Kudos: 13





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here it finally is! Quatre’s story for the Ever After series! I’m super excited to post this first part, and I hope you’ll like this story! 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**Masters of Destiny  
Part 1**

_Preventer Headquarters, Brussels, AC 209_

“No.” Your tone finalized the conversation before it had even began. 

Your superior officer rolled his eyes and gestured for you to sit down again. “These are orders from Commander Une herself. You can’t refuse them.” 

You glared at him, contempt and betrayal evident in your gaze. “Wufei, you _promised_ me.” 

“I know I did.” 

His obsidian gazed at you with compassion and understanding from behind his glasses. That somehow made it worse. You cursed and shot up from the chair again, and paced up and down his office, raking your hands through your hair as you did.

“I can’t go back there.” 

“We can disguise you,” he suggested.

You glared at him. He was your superior officer, but you also considered him your friend. He’d been the only person you had entrusted with your secret when you had enrolled in the academy at the age of eighteen. And now he was going to put all of your careful work, all of your efforts to remain hidden in jeopardy. 

“-Y/N-, I can’t tell Une I’ve allowed someone to work at Preventer under a false name for the past six years,” he said, obviously trying to keep his tone kind and patient. 

It only served to make you more agitated. “We have to think of something.” 

“You’ll wear a wig and sunglasses,” Wufei said. “None will recognize you.” 

“Until someone does,” you snapped. “I’m not going to L4. End of story.” 

“You’ll be fine there.” His tone told you how much he trusted you. “Heero will be with you.” 

Your shoulders sagged and you sighed deeply. You felt like crying, because the frustration was so great. Wufei had always been careful to select your missions, always made sure that you didn’t have to go anywhere near L4. And now Commander Une had selected you herself to guard a high profile political figure. 

And not just anyone. Quatre Raberba Winner. _Wasn’t that fucking ironic?_

You wanted to tear your hair out, scream like a banshee, but that wouldn’t change the fact that you couldn’t refuse orders from the Commander herself. You’d be court-martialed, and Wufei would fall along with you. 

“Ugh.” You collapsed in the chair again and pressed your hands over your face. 

“Are you okay?” 

You glared at him through your fingers. “What the Hell do you think?” 

His look was sympathetic. “We’ll figure this out okay?” 

You grumbled and your shoulders slumped in defeat. You resigned yourself to your fate, but it took great effort. 

“You’ll have to think of how much you want Heero to know,” Wufei said. “We can’t send you out there without him knowing.” 

You bit your lip and shook your head. “Wufei… we agreed on this. None but us knows.”

“You can trust Heero.”

“I know I can,” you snapped. “I trust him with my life. But this…” 

It split seconds you felt eighteen years old again, and frightened of the consequences of discovery. You had grown strong under Wufei’s tutelage, but it all seemed to rush out of you and you could practically feel it slipping through your fingers. It made your throat ache and before you knew it, you were blinking back tears. 

“Okay…” you managed in a small voice. “Fine. I’ll tell him.” 

“Do you want me to be there?” 

“Oh yes.” You weren’t going to face your partner alone. Wufei would suffer the consequences along with you. “You owe me at least that.”

He gave you a small smile, but it froze when he saw the look in your eyes. In an instant he was on his feet and moving around his desk. His hand landed on your shoulder, a gesture of comfort, and concern. 

“I have faith in you,” he said. 

You nodded and sniffed, trying very hard to find yourself again. “I know. It’s just that… even if I’ve become who I am today… the old me is still in there and she’s really scared.” 

“The old you was just as courageous as you are today,” he said, and squeezed your shoulder for emphasis. 

You gave him a lame attempt at a smile. “Thank you.” 

“Hn. Now chin up and start thinking of a way to disguise yourself. We’ll go for a beer after work so you can tell Heero.” 

You heaved a sigh and nodded. “Okay.” 

You left his office with your stomach still in knots. God, what a mess! You resisted the urge to slam the door to your office after you, because Heero was at his desk, buried nose deep into a file folder. You tried to hide your unease, but he was quick to pick up on it. After years of being partners, he’d become pretty good at reading you. The other way around was a different matter entirely.

“Are you okay?” he asked you as you seated yourself behind your own desk. 

“Fine…” you said on a sigh. “Wufei insists on going for a beer after work.” 

“Fine with me,” Heero said. “So what do you think of the new mission?” 

He waved the file folder in the air and you scowled when you realized he had the briefing in his hands. Fucking great. 

“Should be a piece of cake,” you said.

“Hn.” Heero leaned back in his seat and focused on the folder again. “The death threats sound serious enough though.”

You grumbled under your breath. If only these people followed up on their threats and erased Quatre Winner from existence, all your problems would be solved. It was a big fat lie and you knew it. With or without him alive, it didn’t matter. 

You took your own copy of the briefing from the corner of your desk, where you had dropped it after receiving it to storm into Wufei’s office in anger. You opened it and stared at the picture of the man you were supposed to guard. The most eligible bachelor on L4, and also the richest. CEO of Winner Inc. and an important figure in L4 politics. And all of that before even reaching the age of thirty. Good looking to boot. A near hysterical giggle threatened to burst from your throat, but you could contain it just in time. 

Quatre Raberba Winner stared back at you from the picture with a secretive little smile, as if mocking you for the choices you had made. 

He was gorgeous. He wore his hair a little longer than was fashionable, styled back from his face, the wavy blond locks curling at the nape of his neck. His bright blue eyes shone with kindness, but you also knew they could turn cold with steely resolve if he didn’t get his way. You had seen enough footage of speeches and of him during political debates to know that behind the kind exterior was a man that meant business. 

In the picture he was wearing a designer suit, disgustingly expensive by the looks of it, an it emphasized strong and broad shoulders, nipped perfectly at his waist, and made his legs seem like a mile long. The cut of the suit was fashionable, the slacks were a bit on the tight side, and you couldn’t ignore the way the fabric hugged strong thighs. It was pretty damn obvious that Quatre Winner kept up a work-out schedule after work hours. 

He looked pretty damn capable of taking care of himself. Why would he need two of Preventer’s best bodyguards to guard him? He had a whole fucking army of forty men at his disposal that would jump at the opportunity to work for him this way. 

“Say… why wouldn’t he use that little army of his?” you asked. 

“Knowing Quatre, he doesn’t want these men to put their lives in jeopardy for him,” Heero said. 

“Huh,” was all you said. Then actually remembered what he said. Wait a minute… “ _Knowing Quatre?_ You know him?!”

“We go way back,” Heero said easily, stretching out his legs under his desk. 

You sat glaring at him. What a fucking traitor! “You know Quatre Winner.” 

Heero gave you a rare grin. “Does that surprise you?”

“You never said anything.” 

“Well, it’s not like we see each other on a daily basis.” Heero focused on his folder again. “He quit traveling after his sisters pulled a little stunt on him and has been holed up on L4 ever since.” 

“So he is a hermit?” 

Heero snorted with laughter at your dry tone. “It’s complicated. He doesn’t want to be.” 

You huffed and dropped your own folder on your desk. The picture of Quatre Winner slipped out and mocked you from the Mahogany surface. You glared at it with malice, as if hoping it would spontaneously burst into flames. Already your mind was thinking of one hundred ways to get out from under this assignment, but you knew it was futile. 

You heaved a sigh and pushed your hands into your hair, pulling it up into a ponytail so you could bind it with the elastic band around your wrist. 

“Why are you so riled up?” Heero asked you.

“I’ll tell you later okay?” you said. “The walls here have ears.” 

“Hn.” 

You opened the file folder again and mentally steeled yourself. _Here goes nothing._

-x-x-x-

You drowned your beer as if the alcohol could give you the courage you needed. Wufei sat next to you, and he gazed at you in amusement as you tipped back your bottle. Heero raised an eyebrow at your behavior. It wasn’t common for you to drink so fast. 

“Okay.” You slammed the bottle down on the table. “There’s something I need to tell you.” 

“Oh?” Heero inquired casually, his questioning gaze shifting to Wufei. 

“Wufei here already knows.” 

“I see.” Heero didn’t look any less puzzled. 

“There is a possibility that we might run into some trouble on L4,” you said, while peering into your bottle. Damn it, it was really empty. “I’m internationally reported as missing by my family.” 

Heero choked on his beer. “What?” 

“I ran away from L4 when I was about to turn eighteen, so going back there might cause trouble,” you said. “Wufei thinks it’s best if I disguise myself if I go out there.” 

“You knew?” Heero asked Wufei incredulously. 

Wufei shrugged. “I found out she enrolled in the academy under a false name.” 

Heero blinked, his gaze shifting between you and Wufei. “Okay…” was all he said. 

“My family…” you said carefully, “they are very influential.”

“So why don’t you request to cancel?” Heero asked.

“Orders from Une herself?” you asked him sarcastically. “Do you honestly think that will go down well? I’m not gonna let Wufei take the fall for this.” 

Heero sat in silence for a while and then gave a slow nod. “Okay. Do whatever you need to do to feel comfortable. Is there any way I can help?” 

You shook your head. “I’ll just have to do my best to avoid any family members we might run into.” 

“So I’ll need names.” 

You swallowed uncomfortably. “I think you must have heard of the -L/N- family.” 

Heero’s eyes widened. Of course he had heard of them. You nearly rolled your eyes. Your brothers were center stage figures in L4 politics, and your father and uncles had businesses all over the colony cluster. 

“You’re saying your part of one of the most influential families on L4?” Heero questioned.

“Was…” You bit your lip as you idly peeled away the label from your beer bottle. “They had plans I didn’t agree with. And that’s all I’m going to say about it.” 

“I’m not going to pry,” Heero promised. He sat back in his seat and mentioned the waiter for another round of beer bottles to be brought to the table. Heero turned amused eyes towards Wufei. “So I finally found out about something you didn’t do by the book.” 

Wufei snorted. “There’s more that you don’t know about.” 

“No! Really?” Heero feigned a shocked look, causing you to chuckle. It always surprised you how much he loosened up after a drink. “What more is there?” 

“Stuff I’ll take with me to the grave,” Wufei said dryly, while pushing his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose. 

Heero gave you a challenging look. “Say, why don’t we pour more beer into him and see how much information we can get out of him?” 

You chuckled. “Out of Wufei? Good luck with that.” 

Wufei was known to hoard secrets like a dragon hoarded gold. Once in his possession, he wouldn’t ever let go of it. 

For the first time since hearing about that rotten assignment, you allowed a genuine smile to form. You relaxed back in your seat, glad to be surrounded by people you trusted. Even though you had dreaded telling Heero, you knew your secret was safe with him, and that - now that he knew - he’d make sure that you were safe during the assignment. 

You still dreaded going to L4. It held too many bad memories, too much misery. But you had no choice. You’d have to make the most of it. 

-x-x-x-

“L4? Seriously?” 

You gave a curt nod and adjusted your tie as your roommate sprawled on your bed behind you. 

“For how long?” 

“I don’t know,” you said. Another thing you hated about this particular assignment. You had no idea how long you’d be stuck on L4.

Gina rolled onto her back, her black curls fanning out around her head like a halo. Her dark brown eyes regarded you with obvious envy. “L4 is the place for the rich spacers! Imagine all the shopping you could do!”

“I’ll be working,” you reminded her in a dry tone.

“Yeah, yeah… save a thought for me when you’re out there shopping at Louis Vuitton, while I’m stuck in a court room.” She grinned impishly at you. 

“Honey, you’re one of the best lawyers the ESUN could ask for. Don’t be jealous of little old me.” You grinned back at her through the mirror. 

She stuck out her tongue. “You still get to go out on all the adventures. Who are you guarding anyway?” 

Knowing she was no tattletale, you supplied the little bit of info. “Quatre Winner.” 

“ **The** Quatre Winner?” She shot up into a seated position. “For real? Oh, man, get me a case on L4, please.” 

“He’s not that special.” 

She snorted. “Not special, my ass. The finest specimen on L4? I’d love to set my teeth in him.” 

You rolled your eyes and stepped back to check your appearance in the mirror. The wig, a deep burgundy red that Gina insisted looked fantastic on you, itched like Hell, but the cut framed your face in a way that made you an entirely different person. The black suit looked rather elegant. 

“How do I look?” 

“Super smoking hot, of course.” She grinned at you. “Say… now that you’re leaving… Your superior has an awful lot of time on his hands after work.” 

You laughed. “Leave Wufei alone, will you?” 

She gave you a saucy wink. “Who knows what interests we have in common.” 

You shook your head in amusement. Gina had been making hot eyes at Wufei for some time now, but he always seemed oblivious to to her obvious interest. Even Heero had noticed and once commented how she all but drooled over Wufei. 

“Okay…” You gathered your suitcase and trolley, and slung your bag over your shoulder. “Be good while I’m gone.” 

“Yes, Mama.” 

You batted your eyelashes at her. “I’ll keep you posted on when I return.” 

“Have fun!” She called after you as you left your bedroom. “And be careful!” 

Heero was already waiting for you downstairs, next to his car. He too was dressed in a black suit, and his aviator sunglasses carelessly perched on the top of his head. 

“Hey,” you said as you approached him. 

“Hey,” he greeted back while reaching for your suitcase. “Nice hair.” 

You awkwardly touched the wig. “Thanks.” 

You helped him stuff your luggage into the trunk of his car and seated yourself in the passenger’s seat, while Heero took the wheel.

“Ready?” he asked.

You nodded. “Are ready as I can be.” 

He rested a hand on your shoulder for a moment, which was a big thing for Heero to do. He wasn’t the type for physical contact. “You’ll be okay out there.”

You tried a smile and was relieved when he pulled his hand away and started the car. You had put on a brave front the past week as you prepared to leave for L4. It wasn’t easy. You had struggled through the nights, though countless nightmares and hours of insomnia. Wufei could say you were courageous and brave for all he was worth, but you still feared discovery. You had to face the prospect of running into one of your family members. The thought alone made your stomach churn. As long as you wore the wig and the sunglasses, as long as you kept a steely expression and didn’t speak, you would be fine. 

Heero would be with you and he wouldn’t let anything happen to you. 

You repeated it like a mantra until you almost believed it. 

The flight to L4 was a commercial one, and you carefully avoided the cameras as you moved through security. It was something you always did, regardless of your destination. As much as Wufei had helped you, he hadn’t been able to get rid of your family’s report. It would have caused suspicion, so the both of you had agreed for you to fly Preventer issued shuttles as much as possible. You were fine with that. You didn’t fly much as a rule, and Europe had plenty to offer that was within driving distance.

But since Une was in charge of this assignment, you’d have to abide by her rules. 

You were glad when you were finally seated on the shuttle and put in your earphones, not giving Heero any chance at conversation. It seemed a bit rude, but you knew your partner was fine with it. He wasn’t the conversational type anyway, and always seemed to be happy to bury his nose in some tech manual or magazine during flights. 

You gazed out of the window as the shuttle taxied towards the take off lane. You tried to keep the memories as bay, but it was hard to ignore them. What would your family do if they found out you were returning to L4? You shivered and burrowed deeper in your seat. You didn’t want to think of the possible consequences. Despite claiming to be progressive, your family had turned out to be rather conservative when it came to you. 

You had no idea what awaited you on L4. 

Quatre Winner of course… 

What would he be like in person? you wondered idly. Would he be as kind as he seemed or was that just an act? What could you expect from him? 

But the biggest question of them all was… how would he react if he discovered who you truly were?

-x-x-x-

The sight of the Winner estate had a nearly hysteric giggle bubbling in your throat. Heero gave you a look that clearly told you to behave.

“What?” you questioned.

“You should be used to this,” he said dryly. 

You slapped his arm and hissed, daring a quick look at the rearview mirror to see if the driver had picked up on your conversation. “Shh!” 

“I meant we see this all the time,” Heero muttered. 

That was so not what he meant. You rolled your eyes and once more let your gaze linger over what was in front of you. 

The mansion was tucked away behind an elegant gate, with a high hedge spreading out from either side of it to wrap around the grounds, hiding the house from view. The estate was enormous and just _breathed_ wealth and power. It was painted white and obviously well kept, surrounded by a lush garden that invited to a stroll. The driveway circled around an elaborate fountain depicting a trio of galloping Arabian horses.

The sight of it had you sighing with admiration. And longing. How many years had passed since you had last touched a horse? Did Quatre Winner own horses? The thought made your heartbeat speed up, but you were quick to quell the hope that flared in your chest. Even if he did, you couldn’t… 

You exited the vehicle as it drew to a halt in front of the steps leading to the front door, and a team of servants came pouring out to take your luggage. Heero mentioned you to follow him into the house, which you did reluctantly. You tried not to gape at the amount of marble in the foyer, or the priceless art displayed on the walls of the hallway. It was outrageous, even by your standards. 

“Does he swim in his money, or what?” you quietly asked Heero as the butler led the way into the house.

Heero snorted. “You think he is a snob,” he mildly accused you. “Why?”

You ground your teeth together and refrained from jumping to his bait. “Don’t make me smack you, Yuy.”

You caught him smirking at you from the corner of his eyes. 

“Master Quatre.” The butler knocked on a door at the end of the hallway. “The Preventer Agents have arrived.” 

“Let them in.” 

The butler opened the door and stepped back to let you in. Heero entered the room first and you took the time to school your features into a neutral expression, before stepping into Quatre Winner’s home office. The room was fairly large, with the wall on your left being dominated by a floor to ceiling bookcase that was filled to the brim with leather bound tomes. The wall behind his desk was covered in elaborate wood work that housed a large painting. A stern looking tall man and a lovely woman with wavy blonde hair gazed down at you from it. Underneath it, Quatre Winner sat ramrod straight in a leather office chair behind a large Mahogany desk. 

A warm smile broke out on his face and he shot up from his seat, moving around the desk in a swift pace. “Heero! It’s so good to see you!” 

He enveloped your partner into a spontaneous hug, which Heero allowed awkwardly. “Quatre.” 

“It’s been too long!” Quatre pulled back and grinned at Heero, looking genuinely happy to see him. 

You stood waiting in silence for him to acknowledge you. And when he turned towards you, you found yourself a little breathless. His gaze was warm and filled with good humor, his mouth pleasant looking. His blue eyes looked you up and down and you could tell that he gave your hair, or rather the wig, a second thought. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” he said while extending his hand towards you. “I’m Quatre.” 

You grasped his hand firmly, and tried to ignore the tremor that went down your spine at the contact. “Agent -Y/N- Lannister.” 

His grip on your hand was warm and secure, and it surprised you that his hands were not as soft as you had expected. Calluses lined his palm and fingers. From his work outs? He was not at all what you had expected. Despite the obvious wealth, the sleek designer suit and his styled appearance, he exuded genuine warmth and kindness. 

“Have a seat,” Quatre said, while stepping back from you and gesturing towards the chesterfield chairs in front of his desk.

You lowered yourself down in one of the chairs, and Heero took the other, while Quatre walked around his desk again.

“You know why we’re here,” Heero said.

Quatre’s expression turned grim and he gave a curt nod. “I’ve been receiving these threats for a while now.”

“Do you have any idea where they might be coming from?” you asked.

He shook his head. “I’ve had my team investigate and they came up with nothing. There are no traces of DNA on the letters, and the digital threats lead nowhere.” 

“Hn.” Heero’s lips pulled into a small smirk. “I’ll take a look at those.” 

Quatre gave a nod. “I’ll make sure you’ll have full access to the systems.” 

“Good.” Heero gave you a look from the corner of his eyes. “We’ll accompany you whenever you set foot outside.” 

Quatre didn’t seem to like that prospect, as his expression turned even more gloomy. “I wish you wouldn’t have to.” 

“It’s our job,” you cut in. “And we’re the best team that Preventer has to offer.” 

“I’m not afraid of dying.” Quatre turned his gaze on you and you were a bit stunned at the intensity in the blue depts. “I don’t want other people to risk their lives for me, wether it’s their job or not.”

So Heero had been right about that one. Hmm…

You attempted a small smile. “We won’t be in any danger.” 

Quatre reached for one of the drawers under his desk and pulled it open. He took out a large manilla envelope and held it out. You reached out and took it. 

“This is what came in through the mail.”

“You kept all of it?” You raised an eyebrow in surprise as you felt the weight and thickness of the envelope. 

“Of course.” Quatre gave a nod. “It’s evidence.” 

You pursed your lips and gave Heero a look. “I’ll dive into these then.” 

“We’ll need to know your schedule,” Heero said. 

“Naturally.” Quatre grinned. “I’ll email you my agenda.” 

“Good.” Heero seemed satisfied. 

“So how have you been doing?” Quatre asked him. His tone changed with his question, no longer business, but genuinely friendly. 

“Good,” Heero supplied. “What about you?” 

“Busy,” Quatre said. “Some projects are taking longer than expected, and I’ve been asked to run for official ESUN representative for the L4 cluster.” 

“Are you planning on taking it on?” 

He gave a nod and his eyes got a determined gleam to them. “Yes.” 

“Your sisters are not going to like that.” 

“Yeah, well…” He shrugged, seemingly not caring. “They won’t get to decided what I do with my life.” 

There was a dark undertone to his words, as if he was angry about something. It sparked curiosity, but as it was a personal matter, you had no right to ask him about it. 

Your conversation was interrupted by the appearance of the butler, who came carrying a tray with coffee cups into the office. 

“Coffee?” Quatre asked you.

The heady aroma wafted towards you and you inhaled the scent in appreciation. Cardamon. It had been years since you had traditional coffee. When you had left L4, you had taken great care to get rid of all the habits ingrained in your system. Anything to avoid being found. 

But now… You could indulge, if only a little. 

Quatre obviously noticed the way you savored the coffee, but he didn’t comment on it. The coffee was expertly prepared, and you took your time enjoying it while he and Heero exchanged more pleasantries. 

Until…

“So how is Wufei?” 

You choked and had to put your coffee cup down. “You know Wufei?” 

“Uhm, well yeah.” Quatre gave you a small smile.

You pinned Heero with a frosty look. “He knows Wufei.” 

“Like I said, we go way back.” Heero gave you an easy little smile, not at all worried by the way you were looking at him, then turned back to Quatre. “He’s doing good. He got another promotion a couple of months ago and he’s been very busy since.” 

Quatre looked… almost sad for a moment. “It’s good to hear that everybody is doing so well.” 

You were still reeling with the little bit of new information you had been given. Wufei knew Quatre Winner, and he had never told you. Not even after you… Rage flared and you were up in an instant. 

“I need to make a phone call,” you announced stiffly. 

You practically stormed out of the office and dug out your phone from your pocket. You found a quiet little nook in the hallway, which you stepped into as you pressed the dial button.

The moment Wufei picked up, you were barking down the line. “You _fucking_ traitor!” 

“Good day to you too, -Y/N-,” Wufei returned dryly. “What put you into such an awfully good mood?” 

“Oh, I don’t know… Maybe my friend not telling me they’re friends with my assignment,” you hissed maliciously.

“Well… It’s not like I see him often.” Wufei didn’t seem at all fazed by your anger. 

“You could have told me! Goddamn you!” 

“What good would it have done?” he asked you. 

You ground your teeth in frustration and sank down against the wall until you were sitting on your haunches. You awkwardly scratched at the wig. “I don’t know. But I don’t like discovering you kept this from me.” 

“When I promised you that you’re secret is safe with me, I meant it. He doesn’t know.” 

You had to take a deep breath when your throat constricted. Damn it, you weren’t going to cry. “He better not.” 

“I promise, okay?” Wufei said, his tone turning soothing.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered. “I’m just…” _so scared._

And you hated that. You were one of Preventer’s top bodyguards. You never backed out of protecting the people you were assigned to, faced every threat without blinking an eye. But the thought of your family… It made all that carefully constructed bravado crumble. 

“I’m more shaken up than I thought,” you admitted. 

“You can do this,” Wufei assured you. “And you’ll call me whenever you need to hear that again.”

“Thanks, Wufei.” 

“Any time.” 

You ended the conversation soon after that and straightened, sighing to yourself. You turned back towards Quatre’s office but when you reached it the door opened and Heero stepped out. 

“The butler will show us our rooms. We can use the library to set up our office,” he said. 

“Okay.” 

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“Fine,” you said on a sigh. 

The butler showed up again and you followed him down the hallway towards a staircase that let up to the upper levels of the mansion. In the west wing, he pointed towards two doors next to each other. “These will be your rooms.” 

You politely thanked him and made a grab for your suitcase, which was standing along the wall. You wanted a shower, and some time alone. 

“Let’s meet up in an hour so we can set up, okay?” Heero said.

“Sure.” You picked the first room and opened the door, and nearly goggled at the display of luxury that greeted you. 

The room was large and looked like a luxurious hotel suite. You eased out of your shoes by the door and buried your feet in the thick burgundy carpet, turning this way and that to take it all in. The bed was enormous and inviting, covered in what looked to be Egyptian cotton. You walked over to check, rubbing the fabric between your fingers. Oh yes, definitely the real deal. The walls were painted a warm cream color, with exception of the wall behind the bed. It was painted in a deep, warm plum shade. A large painting depicting a desert landscape was proudly displayed above the bed.

If any of the Winner guests ever had a doubt about the family’s roots, it sure as hell was confirmed by this, you mused. 

There was a large flat screen TV on the wall across from the bed, and there was a little sitting area in front of it as well. Plush and comfortable chairs covered in dark yellow velvet. There was a desk in one corner, and next to what you assumed to be the bathroom door, stood a vanity that would have made you sigh with longing as a kid. The windows were covered with gauzy white curtains and when you wandered over to them, you found they gave a view of the back yard. 

Like the front yard, it stretched on and on, and in the distance you could see a couple of white buildings, build in the same style as the mansion. Your heart started beating faster when you recognized what they were. _Stables._

Oh, the longing was almost too much to bear, but you quickly killed it and set course for the bathroom door. The sight of the tub had you sighing, and you quickly went to run yourself a bath. You had an hour to kill before you had to meet Heero. A soak sounded heavenly. There were various oils to choose from and you settled for the one that was sweetly scented like oranges.

You took off the wig and left it on the counter, and relief coursed through you as you slid into the tub. Heaven. After the flight and your first meeting with Quatre Winner you had really needed this. It was good to sit quietly and gather your wits about you.

_And…_ you thought a little gleefully. _He hadn’t recognized you._

-x-x-x-

An hour later you found yourself in the elaborate library of the Winner estate. The amount of books on display had made your mouth water, and Quatre had kindly told you that you could read whatever you liked if you wanted to. He had retreated from the room, leaving you and Heero to set up your temporary office as you liked. You sank in one of the leather chairs at the table you had decided to use as a desk and opened your laptop.

“Okay… so we got a bunch of death threats to go though. Did he email you his schedule yet?” you asked Heero.

“Hn. I’ve got it here. I’ll print it for you so we can take a look at it and discuss the necessary procedures.” Heero’s gaze was intently focused on the screen of his own laptop, his fingers already flying over the keyboard. 

You opened the thick enveloped that Quatre had given you. “Whew…” you breathed, while turning the stack over in your hand. “That’s a lot more than I was expecting.” 

“It’s been going on for a couple of months now,” Heero said. 

There were sticky notes added to each sheet of paper, telling you on which date they had been received. “Say… do we have access to his past agenda? Maybe there’s pattern to these that I can figure out.” 

“Good idea. I’ll ask him.” 

The assignment was not to just simply guard Quatre Winner. You also had to figure out who was behind the death threats. Considering Quatre only left his estate for debates and a social function here and there, it gave you plenty of time to investigate the entire matter. The idea had made you feel at ease. You wouldn’t be out in the open as much as you had expected. 

You worked through the stack of death threads, reading each one and noting down things that you found odd about them. Things they had in common, if they mentioned specific events or places. When you had complete access to Quatre’s agenda you dove into it and compared the threats to dates and events he had marked as important. 

“They seem to increase whenever he attends meetings and functions regarding his Colony Revitalization project,” you announced after a while. 

Heero leaned back in his seat, looking deep in thought. “Anything in particular that caught your interest?”

“Aside from the dates that stand out? The language is neither polished nor common.” You looked at Heero and held up the stack of threats. “This could be anyone.”

“Not just anyone,” Heero said. “If the threats increased around the dates you’ve mentioned, we have to look at anyone who opposes the project.” 

“So we’re talking politicians here, or civilians?”

Heero gave a nod. “That’s right.” 

“Hmm…” You looked up at the ceiling as you sat thinking for a while. “So what opponents does the Quatre Winner have?” 

“Good question,” Heero muttered. “I guess that’ll be next on our list.” 

“We also have to look at his schedule.” 

“He has a debate planned on Friday. I’ll check with the security staff what measures they’ve taken and if they are adequate.” 

“They should be, considering the guy is still walking and talking.”

Heero snorted. “They might not be up to my standards.” 

“Your standards are impossible to meet,” you deadpanned dryly.

“Har har.” 

You neatly arranged the stack of threats in a file folder and stretched in your seat. “Done for the day.” 

“Let’s hit the gym.” 

“Why am I not surprised there is a gym in this place?” 

“You’ll like it,” was all Heero said. 

-x-x-x-

And like it you did. The equipment was top notch and gleamed in the light room, and you loved being there. After three days in the Winner mansion, you had settled into a comfortable routine and you had made yourself familiar with the lay out of the house and the grounds, and Quatre Winner’s routines. You were quick to discover you didn’t see much of him as long as he was working at home. It suited you just fine. The less he saw of you the better. 

But on Thursday, he sought you and Heero out in the gym. 

You had worked yourself into a sweat on the treadmill, and were just switching to boxing. The wig itched like hell, and you were almost ready to just tear it off and be done with it. The day before you had washed and restyled it, with Gina on video chat to give you the instructions. If you kept this up it was due for another wash tonight. 

“Thought I might find you here.” 

You stopped, mid punch and turned your head to see Quatre enter the gym. He was wearing a pair of shorts, and a T-shirt, and that outfit gave you a _so much better idea_ of what he looked like underneath his clothes than the suits you had seen him in had done. You felt your mouth run dry and swallowed thickly. 

Oh, he kept up a work-out regime alright. 

He was fit as hell, strong arms and strong thighs, and the way the shirt stretched over his torso left little to the imagination. He was not as muscled as Heero or Wufei were, but damn it if he didn’t make your mouth water. 

And that was the entirely wrong thing to think!

You scowled and continued punching away on the punching bag, putting more force into it than was necessary. Quatre approached Heero, who was in the middle of a round of push ups in the corner. You heard them quietly conversing and you ignored them, until you heard Heero say your name.

“It’s been a while for me. But you should ask -Y/N-.” 

You stopped moving and straightened, turning towards them, so the men knew you had caught on onto their conversation. “What about me?” 

Quatre gave you a smile. “Would you be interested in a fencing match?” 

You pursed your lips and narrowed your gaze at Heero. “You need to stop gossiping, Yuy.”

“Afraid to lose?” Heero countered smoothly.

“Hah!” You smirked and gave Quatre a challenging look. “I’m game.” 

“Great. Let me get warmed up.” 

Quatre made his way to the treadmill and you went over to Heero to scold him. “One day I’m gonna put duct-tape on that mouth of yours.” 

He snorted and sat up to switch to a series of sit ups. “I’d like to see you try.” 

You pretended to kick out at him and glowered at him in silence. A fencing match with Quatre Winner. How quickly you had risen to that bait. Stupid, stupid, stupid! And Heero was smirking like he was enjoying watching you flounder. 

He probably did. Ugh…

You grumbled to yourself and went back to the punching bag until Quatre moved over to you. “Are you ready?” he asked.

“Whenever you are,” you said. 

He smiled and nodded and gestured for you to follow him to the far side of the room. Aha, so that was why the space was left open, you concluded. There was a cabinet along the wall, and Quatre opened it, revealing a nice collection of fencing foils and gear. 

He retrieved a suit and visor from the cabinet and handed it to you. “You look to be about my sister Dunya’s size,” he said. 

You took the suit from him and walked towards the changing rooms. When you stepped out again you found Quatre already waiting for you, dressed up and visor in hand. He gave you a smile and directed you towards the cabinet again. You took your time picking a foil, weighing different ones in your hands, and testing a few of them. It had been a while. As Wufei’s pupil you had been taught how to fight with a sword, and the difference in weight was something you would have to remember. 

Finally, you found a foil to your liking and gave Quatre a challenging look as you took the visor he held out to you. “It’s been a while, but I’m sure I can keep up.” 

“Heero thinks you are a worthy opponent.” 

You snorted and slipped the helmet on. “That’s only because he’s seen me train with Wufei.” 

Quatre paused, visor raised halfway to his face, and gave you a surprised look. “Wufei taught you?” 

“He taught me how to fight with a sword,” you clarified. “I knew how to fence before that.” 

“Well…” He slipped on the visor, sounding curious and a little awed. “Let’s see what you can do then.”

Half an hour later you felt like you had drenched through the suit, and thought the wig was never going to look good again. God damn… Quatre Winner was a whirlwind and hard to keep up with, and you had found yourself having to rely on all your knowledge. You had slipped up only once, and the blow of your foil landing on his arm had made your hand tingle.

He had laughed it off, obviously not really caring and not really hurt. 

You slipped off the visor and wiped at your sweaty face, noticing the glue you had used to keep your wig in place on your forehead was coming loose. You grimaced and were quick to put your foil back in its original place. 

“You’re good,” Quatre said. “I wouldn’t mind having a rematch.” 

You grinned. “You got it.” 

He was sweaty himself, and his hair was in disarray, blond locks falling over his forehead and curling at his temples. There was a slight flush to his cheeks and his eyes sparkled with the satisfaction of a good match. 

“I’m going to take a shower,” you announced, “or a bath. Or both.” 

You heard him chuckle as you walked off. 

Once you had reached your room you quickly reached up and pulled the wig off your head, wincing when the pins you had used to secure it to the back of your head snagged in your hair. What a mess… You chuckled as you walked into the bathroom, throwing the wig onto the counter. 

You carefully unpinned the braids you had wrapped around your head and undid them, sighing in bliss when you could finally shake your hair loose. Best feeling in the world. Totally. You undressed, turned on the shower, and stepped under the cascade of water.

And only then realized you were smiling. You were quick to wipe the expression off your face. You were not going to think fondly of Quatre Winner, you told yourself sternly. Even if he was a nice guy. And knew damn well how to fence. And was gorgeous as hell, damn it. 

-x-x-x-

On Friday, you prepared got go off the Winner grounds. Your stomach was churning with nerves as you dressed, put the wig in place, and applied make up with precision. You turned around in front of the mirror, studying the way you looked from several angles. 

If you ran into your brothers, would they recognize you? you wondered. You slipped on your sunglasses and angled your head. Over the years you had become very good at disguise. Make up was your biggest friend in this. You preferred to go bare faced as much as possible, but now it was important to not look like yourself. Contouring helped a great deal. 

You took a deep breath. It would have to do. 

You took off the sunglasses and did a final check on your gun, before sliding it into the holster at your belt. You added some extra clips to the pockets of your jacket and squared your shoulders, taking another deep breath.

_I can do this. I can do this. I can do this._

In the hallway you encountered Heero, who was on his way towards the staircase. “Morning,” he greeted you.

“Morning,” you muttered back. 

“We’ll go over the details one final time after breakfast.” 

You gave a curt nod. Heero had gone over the lay out of the room of the L4 senate and it turned out that your brothers were seated at the far end of the room. With a bit of luck, they wouldn’t even see you. 

At the breakfast table, you nibbled on your toast, too nervous to actually be hungry. Quatre had his nose buried in the newspaper, reading through the financial section while knocking back brutally strong coffee. Heero was checking his email on his phone, a line between his eyebrows as he frowned in concentration. The mornings were comfortably quiet. A blessing really, given you weren’t much of a morning person and preferred not to talk before your first cup of coffee. 

Quatre put the paper aside when the staff came to clean your plates away, and he gave both Heero and you a questioning look. “So?” 

“We’ll go about it as usual,” Heero said. “We don’t want it to seem like we have tightened your security measures.” 

“The two of you will stand out,” Quatre said. 

“Maybe,” you said with a shrug. “But we also want to catch these people. We can’t have them backing off now.” 

“So for now we’ll keep your staff’s protocol.”

“Fine with me,” Quatre gave a nod, but his lips were pressed together into a thin line.

He didn’t seem to be very happy about the arrangements. You could understand that. Most of the people you had guarded during the past few years hadn’t wanted other people to put their lives at risk for them. And Quatre Winner seemed to be absolutely _loathing_ the fact that it was necessary. 

You got up from your seat when the butler announced that the car was ready, and together the three of you made it out of the front door and towards the awaiting car. Quatre used the time during the ride to read over some notes on his tablet. 

You sat with your arms crossed over your chest, not very comfortable in Quatre’s close proximity. It didn’t help that he would glance at you from the corner of his eyes every now and then, as if he could read how nervous you were at the prospect of seeing your brothers. You kept your gaze on the window, but didn’t really look at the landscape passing by in a blur. You were a colony brat and knew what they looked like on the inside. Aside from the obvious fact that the elite of L4 resided on this one, it didn’t look any different from any other colony. Same metallic grey walls, same artificial sky. 

The car drew to a halt in front of L4’s ESUN quarters and you and Heero exchanged a sharp look. You slipped on your sunglasses and got out of the car, eyes darting around over the premises to check for any suspicious activity. Heero came walking around the car and gestured for Quatre to come out. 

As soon as the blond man was out of the car, the both of you moved in and whisked him into the building. Quatre gave a chuckle once you were inside. “That was fast.” 

It made you wonder about how slack his security must have been if this was new for him. The grim look on Heero’s face told you he was thinking much the same thing. Security within the building was tight though, and totally up to Preventer’s newest standards. You flashed your badge at the agent next to the metal detector and he gave you a nod and a slight smile as you walked through. 

You waited for Quatre and Heero to join you, and Heero let the way towards the room of the senate. You knew the lay out of the building just as well as Heero did, but the both of you had agreed it was best for Heero to be in the lead. L4’s senate was entirely made up of men, so if you stepped into the room first, your presence would surely lead to speculation. 

The room was already full of people when you entered, and your stomach did a somersault as the cacophony of voices reached your ears. The ambiance of the room was relaxed and friendly, and the men greeted each other and talked amiably among themselves.

“Quatre!” A large man with a beard boomed, before rushing in to pump the blond man’s hand in an enthusiastic handshake. “It’s good to see you.” 

“Hello Amir.” Quatre gave the man a friendly smile, and while he conversed with him, you let your eyes wander around the room.

You swallowed thickly when you eyes came to rest on your brothers. Both tall and imposing, they sat by themselves and were deep in conversation. You felt a pang in your stomach when Deen threw back his head and laughed heartily at something Jamal said. They seemed cheerful and happy, and to see them like that made memories surface. Memories of happier times and that were painful to deal with. 

It was easier to remember the bad, their glares when you had told them and your father that you weren’t going to go along with their plans, that you weren’t some puppet that would just do their bidding. They hadn’t been so happy with you.

Did they miss you? you wondered. If they found out you were here, would they be happy to see you? Or would they be angry, and demand that you fulfill the agreement they had made?

You stole a glance at Quatre from the corner of your eyes. He was smiling warmly at the man he was still chatting with, informing after his grand daughters, which sent the older man into a happy frenzy as he gushed over how proud he was of his daughter for giving him such beautiful grandchildren. It made you swallow uncomfortably. It took you a while to realize that you were a bit jealous of this Amir’s daughter. Your father would never declare so openly that he was proud of you. And knowing him, he’d rather not speak about you now. 

No, you were the family’s disgrace and probably no longer worthy of mentioning. 

The senate’s chairman took his seat, and the men in the room all hurried to their places, the conversations dying down until the room was completely silent. 

“Gentlemen,” the chairman began, his tone formal. “I welcome you today…” 

Hours dragged by, and you took the time to study each and every man in the room from behind your sunglasses. The past few days you had done your research, and you had discovered that - back in AC 195 – Quatre’s father, Zayeed Winner, had been voted out of the L4 senate after a large part of its members had declared the family to be too powerful. They had been keen to invite in OZ, and the Winner Family’s influence had been in the way of these plans.

The fall out had been ugly, and Zayeed Winner had disengaged the family’s resource satellite from the colony and had blown it up, committing suicide in the process. It had taken years for the Winner family to rebuild the satellite, and to forge their reputation back into what it once was. 

Some of the men in the room had been behind Zayeed Winner’s dismissal from senate, but they didn’t seem to feel any animosity towards Quatre now, you discovered. Instead, they addressed him with obvious respect, an none of the men in the room dared to interrupt him whenever he spoke. 

But that didn’t mean they couldn’t be behind the death threats. 

You were glad when the debate was over. You and Heero were quick to whisk Quatre out of the room, and he once more seemed amused at the efficient way that you and Heero worked in. You had almost made it to the building’s exit, when a familiar voice called you back.

“Quatre!” 

You froze immediately, and tension creeped into your shoulders as you head Jamal’s hurried footsteps as he tried to catch up with you. 

“Jamal.” Quatre’s tone was not unfriendly, but it held a touch of steel as he turned around to address your brother. 

You made sure you stood behind Quatre and were not in your brother’s view. You noticed that Heero’s sharp gaze was trained on your brother as well, making sure that he wouldn’t look at you.

“I’m glad to see you haven’t left yet. My father would like to have lunch with you tomorrow,” Jamal said. 

“Is it about the stallion?” Quatre inquired. “He knows I’m not selling the horse back to him.” 

“Well…” Jamal looked awkward and you knew he hated feeling that way. “It was my sister’s horse, you see.” 

Him mentioning you made your shoulders square and your heartbeat speed up. 

Quatre’s nostrils flared, but his tone didn’t change as he spoke. “I don’t have time.” 

He turned around on his heel and nearly ran into you as he set course for the exit. You were quick to fall in step beside him and Heero took his other side. 

You didn’t allow yourself to relax during the drive back to the Winner estate. Your mind was reeling with the information you had just been given. Quatre had bought one of your horses! A stallion, to be precise. It could only mean one thing and the thought nearly made you weep with joy.

You hadn’t dared to come close to the stables at the far end of the property. You knew you wouldn’t be able to keep yourself away from the horses if you got near them. But now… You had to have a look and be sure. If Quatre was in possession of Khali… 

You swallowed thickly and dared a look at Quatre from the corner of your eyes. He sat brooding in his seat, a frown marring his features. It was an odd expression for him to have and it told you one thing. That run in with Jamal was not something he experienced as pleasant. 

And that made you realize once more that you had to be careful. If he found out who you truly were, he would not be happy about it. And you were not keen on finding out what the consequences might be.

**\- End part 1 -**


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second part is finally here! I’m so excited to finally share it with you!  
> I was a little overwhelmed from the kind comments the first part received! It’s wonderful to know the story is appreciated!
> 
> Enjoy! ;)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**Masters of Destiny  
Part 2**

_Main Winner estate, L4 Colony cluster, AC 209_

It had taken you the entire weekend to work up the courage to head towards the stables. You had spend hours weighing the pros and cons against one another, told yourself a million times it was a bad idea… _But one little peek wouldn’t hurt, right?_

You had to **know**.

So, on Sunday evening, after dinner, you left your room and took the staircase down to the main hallway. Raised voices coming from Quatre’s office made you stop dead in your tracks.

“I said **no**!” 

“Quatre!” The other voice was female, and by the sound of it the woman was at the end of her patience. “We have to sell them that horse back.” 

“We don’t.” The Winner heir’s voice was rough with anger, and it made a tingle run down your spine. 

The topic of the conversation drew you closer to the closed door. 

“I don’t get why you have to be so damn stubborn about it! It’s just a horse!” 

“He is **not** just a horse.” 

“So you’re keeping it just to spite them?” 

“Don’t go there Aamira.” 

“I go wherever I damn well please. It’s their sister’s horse!” 

_Wait a minute…_ Where they discussing Khali? You tiptoed through the hallway and hid yourself away in the same alcove you had used to call Wufei from. Given that the voices coming from the office were so loud, you could perfectly understand what was being said.

“Oh, so now it’s about the poor sister again?” Quatre scoffed. “I’m not selling the damn horse.” 

“I would go crazy is someone had my horse in their possession.” 

“Hmph. It’s not our concern.” 

“But Quatre…” 

“She probably doesn’t even know about it.” 

Footsteps came towards the door and you were quick to press yourself back against the wall, hiding in the shadows with a wildly beating heart. The door opened and Quatre stormed out of his office, followed by a tall, elegant woman with long wavy blonde hair that reached halfway down her back. 

You breathed a sigh of relief and waited until they were well out of sight before venturing out of your hiding place. Your heart was still beating a mile a minute, but not with fear. No… with newfound knowledge. Khali was in Quatre’s possession and he was unwilling to sell him back to your family. And he knew that you were missing. You knew your family had been trying to hide that fact, they had been very discreet with their missing person’s report. 

A grim little smile came to play over your face. He must make things difficult for your family and that alone was a satisfying thought. You were thankful to him, even though he would never know of that gratitude. You moved down the hallway once more, intend on making your way outside to see with your own eyes if what you heard was true. 

The Winner estate was wide and open, but more guarded than the average bank. It was the only reason Quatre was allowed to wander the grounds without a bodyguard in tow, and you knew he made use of that opportunity a lot. He loved to wander about in the evening hours, winding down after hours of being holed up in his office. He usually stayed close to the gardens though, so it was unlikely you would run into him.

You tried to keep your breathing even, to keep your pace calm and collected. You couldn’t rush towards the buildings as if your life depended on it, as much as you wanted to. But the simple _idea_ … oh, it was almost too much! Your heart was trying to beat out of your chest with joy. 

The scents reached you first and it was enough to bring tears to your eyes. _Oh…_

You approached the open double doors almost cautiously, listening for any sounds that indicated human presence inside the pristine white building. You only heard the content gnawing of horses on hay, and with a deep breath you entered the building. 

The horses regarded you curiously as you wandered from stall to stall, admiring each horse that you passed. The Winners obviously knew their horses, each one more elegant than the next, with sleek, shiny coats, their comparatively small bodies packed with muscles. Arabian horses weren’t bred for their size. It was their speed, endurance, and intelligence that they were loved for. You stood observing a pristine white mare for a while, noticing the elegant tilt of her ears and the obvious dent in the bridge of her nose that revealed her breed.

“Obviously al-Khamsha, aren’t you?” you muttered thoughtfully. 

Your voice, low as it may have been, drew the attention of one of the horses further along the aisle, and he burst forward to stick his nose over the door, a shrill whiney escaping him. 

“Khali!” Eyes wide with joy, you dashed forward, jumping up to throw your arms around the sleek brown neck, your tears soaking the shiny coat you buried your face in. “Khali.” 

The stallion snorted and rummaged at the wig with his lips, obviously displeased that he couldn’t bury his nose in your hair in the way he used to do. 

“It’s you!” You drew back and took his head between your hands, examining his beautiful appearance and the large, intelligent eyes that stared back at you. “Hello, Pretty Boy!” 

Khali snorted and nuzzled your cheek, causing you to chuckle. His nose was a soft as in your memories as you leaned in to press a kiss against it. He was still breathtakingly beautiful, sleek and powerfully build. The years in the Winner stable had done him good, you observed. He’d grown into his body in the best way and it was obvious the was in good condition. 

Your heart jumped at the thought of riding him again. Khali had been your pride, from the moment he had been born, to the first time you had been able to ride him. Leaving him behind had been one of the hardest choices you had made, but you were happy to know that he had found a good home and had thrived in your absence. 

You drew away and sighed. “I don’t have anything for you and I can’t stay long.” 

But already you knew you would be sneaking towards the stables the following evening. You wouldn’t be able to stay away. 

You pressed another kiss against Khali’s nose. “I’ll bring you an apple tomorrow.” 

He snorted and lifted his head to rummage with the wig once more. You chuckled and smoothed the red fake hair. “See you tomorrow, okay?”

You turned around and left the stable, wiping at your eyes to removed the evidence of the tears. For the first time since the start of this assignment, your heart felt lighter.

-x-x-x-

You struggled to wake up as the knocking on your door wouldn’t ease. With a groan you sat up and pushed your hair back from your face. “Yes?” 

“It’s me,” came Quatre’s voice through the door.

Your eyes widened and you dared a quick glance at the alarm. It was seven in the morning. What was he doing at your door this time of day? 

You got up and approached the door, wisely keeping it shut. It would take too much time for you to put on the wig. “What is it?” 

“I was wondering if you wanted to do another fencing match?” His voice was light, almost cheerful. A stark difference from the tone he had used on his sister the night before. 

“Now?” you asked, your tone incredulous. 

He chuckled. “Let’s say in an hour?” 

“Sure.” Ugh… you’d have to wash and style the wig again tonight it seemed. 

“Great! I’ll meet you in the gym then.” 

You heard his footsteps retreat and grumbled to yourself as you stumbled towards the bathroom. _Fine_ …

But when you stepped foot into the gym and hour later, you realized your mistake. You were alone with him. He was already working out, pumping some weights in the corner, and your gaze immediately zeroed in on the way his biceps bulged with his movements. His skin was coated in a slight sheen of sweat and you felt your mouth run dry at the sight of it. 

_Focus,_ you told yourself sternly. But as you stepped onto the treadmill, you caught yourself wondering about how his skin would taste and feel underneath your fingertips. What would it be like to be in his arms? You squeezed your eyes shut for a moment, angry at yourself for letting your mind drift like that. This was dangerous and not at all what you wanted. 

_Right?_

You grumbled and started warming up, your mood foul enough to work yourself into a sweat. It didn’t get any better when Quatre approached the treadmill and smiled at you.

“I’m ready whenever you are,” he said.

You punched the button to slow the machine down and sighed. “Ready.” 

“Great.” 

Ten minutes later you had chanced and found yourself facing him through your visor. The slight weight of the foil in your hand reminded you that you’d have to be careful. He hadn’t cared much about you slipping up the last time, but you weren’t going to risk hurting him for real. 

He stepped forward and you did so as well. And so the dance began.

-x-x-x-

You gratefully accepted the water bottle that Quatre held out to you. It was wonderfully cold and soothed your parched throat. You wiped at your sweaty forehead and grimaced. The wig was utterly ruined. You’d have to wash, dry, and style it right away after your shower. 

“Wufei’s pupil, huh?” he questioned as he slid down to the floor to sit beside you. “How did that come to be?” 

“How do you know Wufei?” you countered with a question of your own. “And Heero?” 

He gave a little smile. “We go way back.” 

“Right.” By now you had heard that answer so often you started to suspect they were withholding information from you. You narrowed your eyes with suspicion. “You’re not telling me something.” 

He grinned at you and it transformed his entire face. The calculating business man was gone and in an instant he looked much younger, with his warm eyes and white toothed smile. “Ask Heero.” 

“Hah. He won’t surrender shit even under torture.” You shook your head.

“So… Answer my question.” 

So he hadn’t fallen for that little trick. “When I enrolled into the academy he took a liking to me. He thought I was talented so he taught me.” 

“A liking to you?” His tone was so coated in disbelief it made your eyes narrow.

“Is there something not likable about me?” you asked. 

“What? No! I don’t mean it like that!” he was quick to assure you. “It’s just that Wufei always was a loner.” 

“Still is,” you said with a shrug, and took a sip of your water. 

He made a sound in the back of his throat, something very akin to a chuckle, and tipped back his own bottle. You tried not to stare, but it was hard not too, watching his throat work to swallow the water. Droplets of sweat still glistened in the hollow between his collar bones and you were acutely aware of how close you were to him. 

You turned your gaze away from him and tipped your head back against the wall, trying to calm the erratic beating of your heart. 

“Do you enjoy working for Preventer?” he asked.

A small smile came to play over your face. “Yeah, very much. It’s a good purpose.” 

“Hmm…” He gave a nod. “It is. And a necessary purpose.”

“Yeah… You yourself are a good example of how necessary it is.” You gave him a look from the corner of your eyes. “The conflicts have dwindled down, but now organizations chose to target specific people.” 

“Speaking of that,” he said. “Have you come any closer to figuring out who’s behind the threats?” 

“We’re still working on it. I saw you have some time on your schedule today. Heero and I can use it to tell you about our progress.” 

“Sounds like a plan.” He moved and got to his feet. 

You hesitated only a brief moment when he held out his hand to you. You reached out and curled your fingers around his, and he effortlessly pulled you to your feet. You desperately tried to ignore the fluttering in your stomach when he didn’t let go of your hand immediately. 

“I’ll see you later,” you said a little breathlessly, and quickly darted around him to make your exit. 

In your room, you leaned back against the door and closed your eyes for a moment. This was bad. Really bad. You… liked him. And you were sure as hell attracted to him. Really bad, you thought on a miserable moan. 

With a sigh, you pushed away from the door and went to grab your phone. You didn’t give a damn what time it was on Earth. You needed Gina to talk you through the process of cleaning and styling the wig again. The relief when you pulled it off your head damn well made you weep. Gina had made sure the wig wasn’t too tight so it didn’t squeeze around your scalp. But it sure as hell wasn’t comfortable to wear it.

You gave the wig a disdainful look. “I can’t wait to be rid of you.” 

You smacked it down on the counter, where it lay mocking you in a pitiful heap. Shower first, you’d deal with that monstrosity later. 

-x-x-x-

“We have yet to get any closer to the source of the threats, but -Y/N- has them all catalogued and is looking into a connection between them.”

“Good. Another one arrived in the mail this morning.” 

You reached out and took the envelope that Quatre held out. The envelop was still sealed shut, and you let if slide through your fingers to feel if anything else was inside it besides paper. 

“You can open it,” Quatre assured you. “Security checks any incoming mail by scanning it thoroughly and they also check for substances.” 

You gave a nod and leaned forward, reaching for the letter opener on his desk. “May I?”

At his consenting nod, you took the opener and used it to open the envelop. You took out a folded piece of paper. It looked just like the other threats, the same non saying paper, the same letter font, the same kind of language.

But the event mentioned made you raise an eyebrow. “It mentions the ESUN ball.” 

“Interesting.” Heero plucked the letter from your hands and read the contents himself. “The ESUN ball that’s held on the moon each year?” 

“Not really,” Quatre said. “The L4 cluster holds it’s own ball every summer. It’s more of a gathering really.” 

“Are you planning to attend?” you asked.

Heero prevented you from answering by reading the threat’s contents out loud. “My demand is clear. Reveal yourself or I will do it for you at the ESUN ball.” 

The two men shared a telling look. It was the kind of look that held a conversation within seconds. It made you frown. What did they know that you did not?

“What do you have to reveal about yourself?” you asked.

Quatre’s lips pressed together in a thin line. “It’s not important now.” 

“But it is. Someone is obviously not happy with you and your presence within L4 politics,” you argued. “If that information is important to our case, we have to know.” 

Heero’s hand came to rest on your shoulder and you directed your sharp gaze at him. 

“Drop it for now,” he said. His tone left no room for argument.

“The ball is in three weeks,” Quatre said.

“So that gives us ample time to prepare.” Heero gave a nod. “I’ll contact Une and the local Preventer station to arrange for extra security.” 

You nodded although you were still not happy about the fact that they were hiding something from you. “Good idea.”

“And you…” Heero gave you a telling look. “Did you bring a gala dress with you?” 

You gaped at him. “Excuse me?” 

“Well, it’d look rather strange if I were to be his date for the evening,” Heero said dryly, causing Quatre to chuckle. “So it has to be you.” 

“The fuck?” 

Heero gave Quatre a droll stare. “She hates balls.” 

“Ugh, so do you, Yuy.” 

“Yet, I never complain.” 

“Until you drink yourself into a stupor and I have to hear all about it,” you deadpanned. “Do I really have to?” 

“Yes, and you’ll stick to his side like glue.” 

You rolled your eyes. “Fine. But no, I did not bring a dress.” 

Quatre grinned at you. “I’m sure I can arrange something. My sister Nura is a designer and I’m sure she can dress you for the occasion.”

The whole scenario was like a nightmare, you thought. If you were to be Quatre’s date for the ball, you’d be in the spotlights, drawing attention to yourself. Your family would be there and they would surely notice you. 

Unless you managed to figure out who was behind the death threats before the ball.

“I need a list of people you had negative run ins with in the past,” you told Quatre. “Political opponents, business competitors, you name it. Anyone you can think of.” 

Again, Quatre and Heero exchanged a look, and at Heero’s consenting nod, Quatre agreed. “Alright. I’ll get you a list.” 

“Good.” You got to your feet and grabbed the new threat from Heero’s hands. “I’ll be in the library.” 

You stomped through the mansion, utterly unhappy with your predicament. And the fact that the two men were being secretive as hell. You’d corner Yuy the moment he’d set foot in the library. 

The door was too heavy to slam shut, so you did an extra bit of stomping as you went over to your work station. There, you entered the new threat into the catalogue, noted down the date and event mentioned and sat fuming for some time. 

Heero took his time making his way up, but once he came walking in, you turned furious eyes on him. “You better explain what that was about.” 

He seated himself at the other side of the table. “About what?” 

“Don’t play dumb with me, Yuy!” you snarled. “You and Winner are hiding something.” 

He sighed and rubbed at his temples. “It’s none of your concern.” 

Furious, you jumped to your feet and started pacing. “You’re asking me to potentially expose myself to my family. It’s damn well my concern!” 

Heero rolled his eyes. “This has nothing to do with the case.” 

“It has **everything** to do with the case. What is Winner hiding that this person wants to out him for?” 

“It’s something he has to tell you himself.” Heero’s tone hardened. 

“ **You** know what it is, don’t you?” you accused.

The cold glare he gave you made you freeze. Heero had always been kind and patient with you, but now he looked angry. No not angry, you realized. This was not anger. It was cold indifference, the same he used on people that you arrested. It was a look meant to implant fear.

“Drop it,” he said. 

“Fine.” You stormed towards the door. “Be an asshole.” 

You set course for your room, too angry to continue working. It hurt that your partner, a person you trusted with your life, kept information from you. But as you paced about in your room in an attempt to cool off, you realized that went the other way around as well. You hadn’t told Heero about your secret either, had only revealed the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it was absolutely necessary. 

Your shoulders slumped and you sank down in one of the chairs in the little sitting area. 

“Shit.” Your eyes stung, and you blinked rapidly to keep the tears at bay. You weren’t going to cry over a quarrel with your partner. 

You owed him an apology. And a big one at that. You swallowed uncomfortably. You knew that Heero would not tell you anything if you yourself weren’t going to be completely honest with him.

But did you dare to reveal everything to him? 

-x-x-x-

Heero was sitting in one of the lounge chairs facing the swimming pool on the deck. You hesitated only a brief moment before stepping outside. Dusk was setting in, the colony steadily on its way to the night cycle. Your stomach tied itself into a knot as you approached him, but you knew you had to apologize to him. Your words had been uncalled for, and you simply couldn’t live with not being on good terms with your partner.

You stepped up next to him and held out a beer. “I’m sorry.” 

He had not reacted to your approaching footsteps, but he finally looked up to acknowledge you. He made a sound in the back of his throat and took the beer bottle from you. “Apology accepted.” 

His tone was gruff, telling you that despite accepting your apology, he’d need some time to forgive you. You sat down in the empty chair next to him. There was none else outside, and you had checked to see if anyone had been out on the balconies on this side of the mansion. You didn’t want anyone to overhear your conversation. 

“I was out of line,” you said softly. “And I realize I was being unfair. I’ve kept things from you too.” 

“Hn.” 

“The thing is…” You had to pause and take a sip from your own beer. Your mouth was dry and your throat felt constricted, as if it was already refusing you the words you needed to say. “Being here scares the crap out of me.” 

“You’re doing fine.” 

“Did Wufei ever tell you why he and I became such good friends?” you asked.

Heero shook his head. “No.” 

You pressed your lips together and sat in silence for a moment. “I thought so. You knew he was married in his teens, right?” 

At Heero’s nod you continued. 

“It was an arranged marriage.” You picked at the label on your bottle nervously. You painstakingly kept your gaze on the bottle, avoiding Heero’s curious look. “He did everything he could to protect me from mine.” 

Heero choked on his beer and coughed. “W-what?!” he managed once he had his breath back.

You dared a look at him from the corner of your eyes. “I ran away from home to get out of an arranged marriage.” 

He noticed you were very close to tears and reached out to rest his hand on your shoulder. “Are you okay?” 

You shrugged. “I don’t know.” 

“I won’t tell anyone.” 

“I know. There’s more, but you have to promise me you’ll keep it a secret.” 

“I promise.” 

You knew Heero didn’t make promises lightly. If he swore to keep them, he did.

You darted a look around, making sure there really wasn’t anyone around to overhear and leaned towards him. You lowered your voice to a whisper as you spoke.

“I was supposed to marry Quatre Winner.” 

His eyes widened and he sputtered. “You’re kidding me, right?” 

“I wish I was,” you said dryly, while tipping your head back to take another swig from your bottle.

“He’d never agree to that,” Heero said, while shaking his head. “That’s not like him at all.”

“Wether he signed the agreement or not, it’s a legal contract. I was a minor when it was signed, so he technically owns me.” Your tone was bitter. “Which is why he can never find out who I really am.” 

“He won’t hear it from me.” 

“Good.” Your shoulders relaxed visibly. “You know what’s fucking ironic? I actually think the guy is nice.” 

Heero’s lip quirked into a small smile. “It’s hard not to like Quatre.” 

You scowled. “I’m planning to double my efforts to get to the person behind the threats, so I can get out of the gala.” 

“And if you can’t?” 

You sighed and shook your head. “I can’t be seen at the gala, Heero. And I also know we can’t have somebody else take my place, so we have to figure it out before that.” 

“Hn…” 

You got up from the chair and couldn’t keep yourself from throwing a longing look in the direction of the stables. _Not tonight_. “I’m going to bed. See you tomorrow.” 

“Sleep well.” 

“Yeah. You too.” 

-x-x-x-

Quatre proved true to his word and came to deliver the promised list to the library the next morning. He was dressed in a dark blue suit, no tie, and the top buttons of his shirt remained casually undone. Your eyes were dawn to the way the suit’s jacket emphasized strong shoulders and that slim waist, and you promptly forgot that this man could control your entire life if he ever found who you really were. Instead, you appreciated him for the fine picture he made. And a damn fine one it was. 

You clucked your tongue when you saw the amount of names on the list he held out to you. “This is quite a lot of people.” 

He gave you a somewhat sheepish smile. “I’ve been the head of this family for almost fifteen years.” 

“Yeah…” You did a quick scan of the list. “When you put it like that, it is a long time.” 

“Over the years we have had some tough competition,” Quatre explained. “With the ESUN’s establishment trade restrictions ceased to exist, and so a lot more companies were able to participated in tenders for business contracts.” 

You made a gesture to the chair next to you. “Do you mind talking me through this list?” 

He gave you a smile and you desperately tried to ignore the little jolt in your chest. “Not at all.” 

For the next two hours he dutifully relayed events, names, times, and places, and you typed away furiously at your laptop. It was a lot of information, but you knew anything might be useful. You were unaware of the time that passed, or how you relaxed more and more in his presence, lulled into a state of that was very close to contentment by the sound of his voice. Sitting so close to him, you could smell the scent of his after shave, sandalwood and something fresh… almost citrusy. It made a warm feeling bloom in your stomach.

Both of you looked up when the door suddenly opened, and disappointment settled when Heero came walking in. You knew that the comfortable atmosphere in which you had been working had been broken by his arrival.

“Hey,” you said. 

“What are you doing?” Heero asked as he approached the working station.

You took the list and held it out to him. “Quatre has been talking me through this list of people.” 

Heero scanned the list, and next to you Quatre’s shoulders tensed visibly when Heero frowned. “Is this all of them?” 

You didn’t miss the skepticism in his voice. 

“Yes.” Quatre’s tone held a sharp edge.

There is was again. The secrecy, the things that they wouldn’t talk about in front of you. What the fuck were they hiding? 

“Hn.” Heero gave a curt nod and handed you back the list. “And I assume you already checked each and every one of them.” 

“Naturally,” Quatre said, to which you rolled your eyes.

“You could have told me,” you said.

He shook his head and gave you a grin. “You would have gone and checked them anyway. And besides, you have a fresh perspective. You might see something that I have overlooked.” 

Ha! That was rich. One thing you knew for sure, and that was that Quatre Winner was perceptive as Hell. You very well remembered the look he had given you when you had shaken hands with him on your first day here. There was no way that Quatre overlooked anything. 

“Oh well…” You sighed and saved your work, then gave Heero a questioning look. “Any luck on getting the extra security?” 

“Hn.” Heero gave a satisfied smirk. “They’ll send their best agents in. We’ll be meeting them next week for a briefing on the event.” 

“Good.” Then remembered what the event held in store for you if you did not manage to catch the person behind the threats in time. “And I suppose I have to meet with your sister, Quatre.” 

“She’ll be here on Friday to take your measurements.” Quatre checked the Rolex on his wrist and got to his feet. “I have a conference call scheduled in twenty minutes. If you have any remaining questions on the list, let me know.” 

“Will do.” 

He left the library and you slumped in your chair when he was gone. “So he gives me a list and I can do jack shit with it.” 

Heero smirked. “But check them anyway. He’s right you know. You do have fresh perspective.” 

“Ugh…” You were tempted to crumple up the list and throw it at Heero’s head. 

But you’d check each and every name on the list. It was your job, even if Quatre had already done it for you. 

You worked well into the afternoon, and opted out of a work out in the gym. Instead you fought the wig into some messy updo and did laps in the pool. It was good to be outside. The pool was heated and the water a pleasant temperature as you threaded through it. And whenever you swam in the direction of the back end of the property, you had a good view of the paddocks. It was easy to spot Khali amongst the other horses, his coat shining in the artificial light.

As you worked through your laps, you recalled the way you had felt that morning, when you had been alone with Quatre in the library. It was easy to remember the warm feeling in your belly, and the way he had smelled. Recalling it, made a fresh wave of heat swirl in your stomach. Annoyed, you grabbed onto the edge of the pool when you reached it and rested your arms on it as you stared ahead of you. 

What you felt now, you had felt only one time in the past six years since you ran away from home. A feeling you recognized all too well, and it meant you were in very, very deep shit. You were lusting after him. 

“Way to go, -Y/N-,” you told yourself as you hoisted yourself out of the pool.

You stalked over to the chair on which you had dropped your towel and started drying yourself. Your movements were furious and you were near bristling with anger at yourself. What a miserable way to fuck everything up, you thought. You wrapped the towel around your body and stepped into your slippers, very intent on making your way to your room.

You needed to talk to Gina. She’d have some good advice for you… you hoped. Something that did not involve screwing Quatre Winner crosseyed. 

You walked into the house and as you stepped into the hallway, saw Heero disappearing into Quatre’s office. Your curiosity piqued, you quietly made your way over and pressed your ear against the closed door. 

“… need to talk.” 

“Oh?” Quatre inquired casually. “About what?” 

“The people, or rather the organizations you did not put on your list.”

You pressed closer to the door, your heart beating wildly in your chest. What were they talking about?

“You think that after almost fifteen years, somebody still holds a grudge?” you heard Quatre ask.

“It could very well be P3.” Heero’s voice was so quiet you had to strain to hear him.

P3? What on Earth… 

“Or White Fang, or whatever group we have dealt with in the past,” Quatre said dismissively. 

“Quatre, your life is at stake here,” Heero said. 

“You think I didn’t consider these possibilities before?” Quatre deadpanned. “Preventer keeps tabs on these people, do they not?” 

“Yeah, they do.” Heero sounded weary. “But we still have to look into them. You gave these people your name.” 

“So do it,” Quatre said. “Unless?” 

“-Y/N- doesn’t know.”

“I figured she didn’t.” Now Quatre sounded weary. “I don’t have much choice, do I?” 

“I’m sorry.” Heero sounded genuinely regretful. “I don’t see any other way.” 

You realized you were holding your breath, and took a deep gulp of air. You knew you had to get to your room before anyone caught you out here, but you couldn’t pry yourself away from the door. You were too focused on the conversation taking place in Quatre’s office. You knew that you’d feel guilty. You were breaking Heero’s trust, but you just couldn’t help yourself. 

This was vital information. Information that would solve the case, and would enable you to remove yourself from L4 before your family found out you were here. Before Quatre found out.

“I’ll talk to her,” Quatre said. “I’m assuming she doesn’t know about any of us?” 

“No.” 

“Okay. I’ll make sure to tell her only about myself then.” 

You bit your lip and stepped back. You knew the conversation would end soon and you really couldn’t afford Heero finding you with your ear pressed against the door. You quietly made your way to the the staircase and went upstairs. Your heart was still beating erratically by the time you had made it to your room. 

P3… What kind of organization was that? From the conversation you had understood the organization had been on Preventer’s radar for events that happened about fifteen years ago. You tried to recall if you had ever heard about P3 before, but gave up and sighed. You had been a blissfully ignorant child fifteen years ago, sheltered by your family and traditions. 

You’d have to rely on your skills to find out. 

You took a quick shower and dressed in a comfy pair of sweatpants and a black tank top. You settled on your bed with your laptop and a cup of tea and got to work. You first searched on the internet to see if there was any information up for grabs. The Preventer database kept track of anything you searched for and you didn’t want Heero to know you were in on the secret yet. 

It wasn’t that hard to find. Your heart jumped in your chest as you opened a local newspaper’s archive. In AC 196 an organization going by the name of Perfect Peace People had questioned the established peace through various protests and TV interviews. Their leader, Victor Gaintz had perished in an attempted coup, but the details were fuzzy. Either the newspaper had not been able to get the full scoop, or Preventer had kept most of the story from the public. 

But when you checked the date of the main article, you blinked. Preventer had not even been established at that time, so they couldn’t have been around to stop the coup. But who did then?

There was a link to a TV interview with Victor Gaintz, and you clicked on it, curious to see who the leader of Perfect Peace People had been. The video was short, and the organization’s leader a charismatic man who talked of disarmament and questioned the ESUN’s policies on weapons. That seemed fairly normal, right? A frown formed on your face. There had been countless political groups in the past who had questioned the ESUN about the same thing. 

But then Gaintz said something that caught your attention. _“The thing that worries me most is the Gundams. What happened to those unstoppable weapons of war?”_

A cold, numb feeling settled over you and your breath left your lungs in a rush as you sat staring at your laptop screen, frozen like a statue. _Gundams…_

_Quatre was a Gundam Pilot?_

The very notion almost made you want to laugh. Someone that kind could hardly be a cold blooded killer. Right? And then you remembered what he had told Heero. _Whatever group we have dealt with in the past._ He had said _we_. Heero had said you didn’t know about any of them… Meaning Heero…

 _Oh God._

Like a movie, images and scenes flitted before your eyes, memories from past conversations. Heero saying Quatre and he went way back. Wufei saying the same thing… Quatre confirming that. _Wufei too…_

You pushed your laptop away and jolted up, gasping for air like a person dragged from the water after being saved from drowning. Your lungs were burning and the room seemed to spin around you as you stumbled over the the window and opened it. You sank to the floor, kneeling in front of the window, and pressed your burning forehead against the cool marble of the window sill. 

You wheezed pitifully and clamped your hands around your knees, your nails digging into your skin through the fabric of the sweatpants. The pain made you jolt back to the present and you were finally able to sit upright again.

Focus, damn it. Okay… what you had discovered was not the end of the world. Right? You were just engaged to a former Gundam Pilot, were the pupil of another, and the partner of a third. You snorted with hysterical laughter at the absurdity of it all. What were the odds? Ha! You brought up your hands and buried your face in them, chuckling to yourself. This was _insane_. And it all made **perfect** sense. They were the same age, and you had always thought Wufei was rather young for the high position he held at Preventer. Now it suddenly was clear why… And it also explained why Heero was the way he was.

You couldn’t bring yourself to be angry at them for keeping it from you, even shaken up as you were by your discovery. It was not information you told a lot of people. In fact, you knew there still were plenty of politicians and civilians alike who routinely raised questions about the former Gundam Pilots’ whereabouts. Of course they had kept it a secret. And now Quatre was considering revealing it to you. 

You realized it was a huge responsibility for you to carry if he choose to surrender that information to you. It was something you’d have to keep a secret, and it was somewhat of an honor as well. If Quatre chose to tell you, it meant he trusted you. And it was no plain trust. It meant he trusted you with his life. The implication made you draw in a shuddering breath. If he did tell you, and you were assuming he would… Shouldn’t you come clean to him then? It seemed only fair. But did you dare? He might trust you because of Heero’s belief in you, because of your job at Preventer, because you had sworn to protect him. But did that mean you could trust **him**?

Confusion and doubt swirled madly in your belly, making it feel as if a stone had settled in your stomach. You couldn’t…

What you had told Heero was very true. Quatre technically owned you. 

And you damn well refused to give up the life you had build for yourself. You had worked too hard and risked too much for it to let it slip through your fingers. When it came down to it, you’d chose your own husband, and he’d be a man who respected and loved you and saw you as his equal. 

That man couldn’t be Quatre Winner, a much as your traitorous body was telling you otherwise. 

With a sigh you got up and shut the window. You went back to the bed and grabbed your phone. You needed Gina.

She sounded a little breathless when she picked up, and a little giggle escaped her before she spoke. “Hi -Y/N-.” 

“Hi,” you said, then raised an eyebrow when she giggled again. “Are you busy?” 

“Nooo…” she drawled. 

You rolled your eyes. “You are. Don’t lie to me.” 

She snorted, and you heard the distinct sound of a door closing, meaning she had locked herself up in a separate room from whoever she was with. 

“What’s going on?” she asked. 

“I need some advice,” you muttered while leaning your head back against the wall. 

“Okay… So spill.”

“I’ve got the itch.” 

“The oooh…” Realization dawned and Ginda snorted. “For Winner?” 

“It’s not funny,” you grumbled.

“Isn’t it?” she questioned. “Pity. You should totally do something about it.” 

“I totally should not. It would make things really complicated if I did.” 

“Really? It’s not that hard. Gorgeous man and gorgeous woman equals spectacular sex, you know.” 

“Gina!” 

“What?” she laughed. “It’s been years since the last time you had the itch, so I’d say you should totally make use of the opportunity.”

You groaned miserably. “You have sex on the brain, otherwise you wouldn’t be telling me this.” 

“Honey, I am a healthy woman, and you are too. Go screw his brains out.” 

There was the sound of someone knocking on the door at the other end of the line, followed by a muffled male voice. And it was distinctly familiar, you realized in shock as Gina replied with a cheerful _‘I’ll be right there!’._

“You’re fucking Wufei!” you screeched down the line. 

“What… how,” she sputtered.

“You’re fucking Wufei!” 

“Oh… fuck.” And she promptly hung up. 

You were left gaping at your phone’s screen in shock. You were tempted to call her back, but then a text message popped up on your screen. _I’m serious. Go screw his brains out! ;)_

 _Oh my God…_ was all you could think. Then burst out in hysterical laughter. You fell back on the bed, clutching your stomach. You laughed until your belly hurt, until tears rolled down your temples to disappear in your hair. You didn’t hear the knocking on your door, until it opened and Heero poked his head around the door.

“Having fun?” he asked dryly.

You gasped and shook your head, body still thrumming with mirth. “Gina…” you managed, then snorted again. “Gina and Wufei…” 

Heero’s eye grew wide. “What?” 

“You heard me,” you wheezed. “Christ. I think I interrupted them.” 

Heero looked positively horrified. “She’s never going to let him escape her clutches.” 

“Ha! You got that right!” You threw back your head and laughed some more. 

Heero stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. You slowly sat up and closed the lid of your laptop. Your took a deep breath and shook your head. “Sorry… you were probably thinking some hyena was going crazy in my room.” 

Heero chuckled. “Well…”

“So…” you sobered and wiped at your eyes. “What’s up?” 

“Quatre has another debate scheduled tomorrow..” 

“Yeah… I saw.” 

“Good.” Heero gave a curt nod. “We’ll run through the routine again before we leave.” 

“Alright.” You gave him a small smile, then suddenly remembered your discovery earlier. 

All of a sudden you saw him in a new light. He wasn’t that different from before. He was still your partner, a friend, something close to a brother. A man you trusted with your life. A kind guy with a quirky sense of humor and a fierce drive to do his job to the best of his abilities. But now he was also a guy who had done extraordinary things as a kid. You understood the reasoning behind that fierceness and the drive.

It made him… a little extra special. And it made you treasure your friendship with him all the more. 

“Hey, Heero,” you said on an impulse when he turned around to leave your room again. 

“Hn?” he turned back to look at you.

“I’m glad you have my back.” 

A small smile came to play over his face. “Likewise.” 

He left your room, leaving you on the bed with a smile on your face. Sometimes life threw you an unexpected curve ball, you mused. It made you rethink, revalue. And you found it wasn’t that bad. Now, if only you could figure out what to do about your itch for Quatre Winner.

-x-x-x-

It was getting close to midnight, but you couldn’t sleep. You had tossed and turned for hours, but sleep eluded you. Your mind was too restless from your discoveries, from the confusing ball of feelings that was swirling in your stomach. With a sigh, you threw off the covers and stumbled into the bathroom to slap on the wig. 

Maybe some warm milk would help you settle down. 

You sought your way downstairs in the dark, while listening for any other sounds in the house. It was dead silent, safe for the occasional creak or the very distant hum of the generators that powered the colony. You padded into the kitchen on thick socks, glad for the warmth they provided as you crossed the marble floor to the fridge. 

You heated up milk, and counted yourself blessed when you discovered a luxury brand of cacao in one of the overhead cabinets. Hot chocolate milk, that surely should cheer you up a little. You stirred the cacao into the milk, humming quietly to yourself, and prepared to settle down in one of the seats along the bar when you heard the music. 

Somewhere down the hallway, someone had started playing the piano. The music was quiet, gentle, almost tragic, and it lured you out of the kitchen to explore. Three doors down from Quatre’s office, you found the door to the music room ajar. The room was bathed in shadows, the only light coming from outside, where the artificial sky mimicked what was supposed to be moonlight. The grand piano stood under a skylight, close to the double doors that gave way to the garden, and bathed in silvery light, Quatre sat manipulating the keys. 

You felt your breath clog in your throat at the sight of him. He was dressed in sweatpants and a tank top, and with a jolt you realized you had not seen him dressed so casually before. Even his work out clothes breathed money, but now he looked… carefree wasn’t the right word. His hair was a little mussed and fell over his forehead, as if he had rolled out of bed and hadn’t bothered to tame the blond locks. Shadows deepened the angles of his face, seemed to emphasize the tense line of his mouth. 

It was clear sleep had eluded him too. 

You clutched your mug between your hands as if it was an anchor and stepped into the room. Your footsteps alerted him, but he didn’t stop playing. He only spoke up when you were standing next to him. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked.

“No,” you said softly. “I went to get some warm milk and heard you play.” 

“Music usually helps for me.” He sniffed the air. “That doesn’t smell like just milk.” 

You smiled. “I indulged.” 

“Clearly.” The tense set of his mouth softened into a smile. 

You bit your lip to contain the chuckle that wanted to escape you. 

Quatre stopped playing and sat in silence for a moment, before he looked up at you. In the darkness his eyes blazed silver, and you found yourself breathless once more as you fell victim to his spell. He was utterly alluring. 

“There is something I need to tell you,” he said. 

“Oh?” You were surprised you had managed to find your voice at all. 

“Have a seat.” He scooted over to make room for you on the bench he was sitting on.

You hesitated. Was it wise to sit so close to him? But you realized there weren’t many other options and part of you delighted in being close to him. You sank down on the bench and shivered when your arm brushed against his. You were acutely aware of the fact that he was displaying toned biceps that made your mouth water. 

“There are some names missing from the list I gave you,” he said. 

Your heartbeat sped up. He was going to tell you! “Is that so?” 

“Yes.” He gave a little sigh and gave you a regretful look. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think that it might be important, so I left them out.” 

“What made you change your mind?” you asked quietly. You knew you had to act like you didn’t know what he was talking about, but you weren’t that good an actress. 

He gave you a little half smile. “I guess I figured I’d put my trust in you.”

You remained silent and sipped your hot chocolate. 

“You see… What I’m about to tell you is not common knowledge. It’s not information I want to get out.” 

“I’ll keep it a secret,” you said solemnly. 

“I’ve had a run in with an organization called the Perfect Peace People in AC 196,” he said. His voice sounded a little strangled, as if he was heaving difficulty telling you this. “They questioned the ESUN’s policies on demilitarization. Around that time, there was a rumor going around that there was a secret Mobile Dolls plant in outer space called Vulkanus, and that there might be mobile dolls stored there. I went out to investigate, but P3 interfered.” 

“You were just a kid at the time.” 

His smile was on the sour side. “I wasn’t just an ordinary kid. I woke up, strapped to a table and they injected me with a truth speaking serum. When they interrogated me… I told them my name and that I was a Gundam Pilot.”

He was looking at you intently, as if trying to gauge your reaction to what he had just told you.

“Okay…” you said calmly.

“You’re awfully calm.” 

“That… was not how I felt when I found out this afternoon.” 

His eyes widened in shock. “What?” 

“Your office…” You gave him a sheepish smile. “It’s not exactly sound proof. I overheard Heero mentioning P3 and I did some research.” 

“Oh…” 

“But even before that I suspected something. You and Heero had a lot of silent conversations by just looking at each other.” You tried your best to sound casual. As if it was the most normal thing in the world that he had just told you he had been a Gundam Pilot. 

“So…” he said, sounding a little curious. “How did you react when you found out?” 

“I might have had a tiny panic attack.” You grinned at him. “I came to the conclusion that if you were a Gundam Pilot, then Heero and Wufei were as well.”

“Aah…” His eyes widened again, and this time it was with a mixture of shock and amusement at your perceptiveness.

“The idea wasn’t that… frightening. I’ve worked with Heero and Wufei long enough to know they are a little exceptional.” You sipped your drink, lamenting the fact that the mug was almost empty. “I just did not expect to find out about you three at the same time.” 

He sat beside you in silence, looking deep in thought. But now that the secret was out in the open, the tension had left his shoulders. The line of his mouth was soft and relaxed, and you had a hard time pulling your gaze away from those full lips that looked entirely too kissable. It was hard to imagine, you mused, that you had once cursed your family for arranging your marriage to this man. And now, here you were, short from drooling over him.

“So you’re not…” he fell silent again.

You understood what he was trying to ask you. “Repulsed? Scared? No.”

He gave you a small smile. “Not entirely the words I would go for, but they cover the basics.” 

“I work with Heero,” you said simply. “He can be a scary son of a bitch, so you kinda learn to become immune to fear.”

He chuckled. “Right.” 

“I’ll look into P3,” you told him. “And if they are behind the threats we’ll get them.” 

“You’ll need names.” 

You nodded. “Yes. I imagine the Preventer database has plenty of information on them, but I need your accounts of what happened as well.” 

“I have some free time Friday afternoon. I could fill you in after your meeting with Nura.” 

“Right… the dress.” You rolled your eyes, which caused him to chuckle.

“Don’t worry. I’m not a terrible dance partner, you know.” 

You bit your lip, contemplating what to say to that, if your question wouldn’t reveal too much. “Isn’t dancing together… haram?” 

He froze, his brows drawing together in a frown. “What are you talking about?” 

“Never mind…” You moved to get up.

He stopped you by grabbing your arm. The touch of his fingers on your skin send a jolt of lust through your blood, and you desperately tried to ignore the way your heart was threatening to beat its way out of your chest. 

“We’re not so strict here, if that is what you’re asking,” he said. 

“Maybe you are not, but others might be.” 

He had you trembling to your bones already and he was only touching your arm. 

“Are you afraid of what they might think?” Was that suspicion in his tone?

You pulled your arm free. “I said never mind. It was a stupid question to ask.” 

“There’s no such thing as stupid questions.” 

You shook your head and gave him a lame attempt at a smile. “I’m going to bed. See you tomorrow.” 

And you promptly fled the room, leaving him staring after you in wonder. 

-x-x-x-

“Why are you still sleeping?” 

You jolted upright, blinking sleep from your heavy eyes. “Wha-”

Heero stood in the doorway, all dressed up and looking at you in shock. Which was totally in place, because you had never overslept a day in your Preventer career. 

“What time is it?” You dared a look at the alarm clock on the nightstand, and you eyes widened in shock. “Shit!” 

“Get ready,” Heero said promptly. “I’ll bring your breakfast up so we can go over the security details.” 

“Thanks!” You were already out of bed, racing towards the bathroom for a shower. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” 

Damn it! You showered and dressed, brushed your teeth, and braided your hair. You took the wig with you into the bedroom and sat down at the vanity to fix your make-up. Heero came walking in, and he put down a plate with croissants and a cup of coffee in front of you. 

While you ate and applied make-up, you discussed the security details. It was more of a quick check if everything was in order. By now, you and Heero worked like a well oiled machine, and the talks were just form. 

“We have to leave in five,” Heero said. 

“Crap.” You quickly put on the wig and used some bobby-pins to pin it in place. You had no time to use the glue to secure the lace front.

You checked your appearance in the mirror and prayed desperately that the wig would stay in place. It would have to do. You slipped on your blazer, put on your shoes, and bolted out of the room. On your way to the foyer, you thoroughly cursed yourself.

It was your own damn fault. You had been too restless up to sleep after your conversation with Quatre. You had tossed and turned throughout the night, dozing a little here and there, only to jolt awake from sinfully sexy dreams. He had only touched your arm, for God’s sake! It was ridiculous to get so worked up over a man touching your arm!

But it wasn’t just any man… _Holy smokes,_ you thought as Quatre came walking down the hallway. Today’s suit was grey, and he was wearing a crisp white shirt and a blue tie underneath. The color of the tie brought out his eyes, and you felt your heart do a quick pitter patter when his gaze settled on you. 

“Good morning,” he said cheerfully. 

“Morning.” 

“We’re all set,” Heero said. “Let’s go.” 

You piled into the car, and checked your email on your phone on the way. Quatre didn’t breathe a word about your conversation with him the night before, and that was fine with you. You needed to tell Heero at some point, but now was not the right time. Maybe later today. 

Upon arrival, you and Heero rushed Quatre into the building and you fell back as you walked towards the conference room, preparing to be the last one to enter once again. You scanned the room for your brothers and found them talking to an elderly man on the other side of the room. They both looked at Quatre when he took his seat, and you tried not to flinch when Deen’s gaze landed on you for a moment. You knew he couldn’t possibly recognize you with the wig, the sunglasses, and the make-up. But even so, you felt a rush of relief when he turned his attention back to the conversation at hand without sparing you a second glance.

Around you people began to settle in their places, and the chairman announced the start of the debate. You prepared to listen with only half an ear, and regularly scanned the room for any suspicious activities. You knew that, on Quatre’s other side, Heero was doing the same thing. The debate was lively, and the atmosphere rather relaxed. The men knew how to argue in a respectful way and it was a rather amusing thing to witness. 

In the past you had often witnessed politicians looking ready to tear each others’ eyes out. But on L4 politics were sophisticated, it seemed. The first hour dragged by, and the chairman announced a fifteen minute break. But as the men prepared to leave the room, the fire alarm went off. 

You and Heero exchanged a look behind Quatre’s back, and you were moving the next moment. You grabbed Quatre’s arm and dragged him out of his chair and towards the exit. Heero was close behind you. You didn’t even have to look to know he was there, scanning the immediate surroundings for any danger. Your task was to focus on Quatre, making sure he moved with you at all times. 

You pushed through the crowd, knowing you couldn’t rush the men around you to move quicker. Each and every one of them should get the time to move out of the room, but they were not your assignment. Your eyes narrowed behind your glasses when you finally were able to move into the hallway. It was even crazier there. There was panic, and that was bad. 

“Heero.” 

“Go,” he said while slipping his gun out of its holster. “I’m right behind you.” 

You nodded and tugged on Quatre’s arm. As you walked, your free hand itched towards your own gun. You smelled no smoke, no gas. Someone had turned on the alarm for a different reason. Which meant you had to be on your guard. You knew you couldn’t use your gun. If it came to it, you’d need both your hands free to push Quatre to the ground. 

You worked your way through the throng of people trying to make their way out of the building as well. Your gaze darted around frantically, trying to spot any abnormally in the crowd. 

And then you saw him.

A man, wearing a cap and sunglasses. He was dressed in non saying civilian clothes, washed out jeans and a black leather jacket. He had pulled the cap down low, making you unable to get a clear view of his face. But it was clear he had seen you and he had seen Quatre. His thin lips pulled into the tiniest hint of a cruel smile and then he moved. 

“Fuck.” 

You moved without thinking and whirled around. You pushed your hands against Quatre’s chest and shoved him back. He grabbed hold of your arm and pulled you with him, while Heero was quick to dart forward and move around you. You kept a firm hold on Quatre’s jacket and snarled when the crowd moving around you made it almost impossible to push him around the corner and into an already empty hallway. 

“Move!” you snapped. 

Quatre worked with you, shouldering his way through people and you were quick to follow suit. You knew Heero would try to take out the intruder, but it would probably be impossible to get a clear shot. He wouldn’t risk it with all these innocent people around you. Unless the intruder tried to pull a stunt first. 

“EVERYBODY GET DOWN NOW!” 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” You shoved your shoulder into Quatre’s back and managed to get him into the hallway. Someone bumped into you and you stumbled, cursing foully as you lost your footing. 

Quatre turned around and yanked you upright before you could hit the ground. And in that split second you felt the wig slip from your head. Your eyes widened in shock, and then the breath was knocked out of your lungs as you collided with Quatre’s body. The two of you tumbled to the floor in a heap of flailing arms and legs, and you heard him grunt as he landed on his back.

“Stay down,” you told him.

He lifted his head from the ground, and his eyes widened when he got a good look at you. Shock flashed in those pretty eyes of his. And something else. Recognition.

You narrowed your eyes at him and opened your mouth before he could speak. “Shut up and do as I told you.” 

You sat up and turned around, slipping your gun from its holster. The main hallway was a mess. Most of the people had obeyed Heero’s order, but along the walls, people were still moving. Heero was nowhere to be seen. 

You pushed the button on your earpiece. “Yuy! Status?” 

“Intruder got away. Stay were you are. I’m coming back in.” 

“Just fucking great.” 

You made a grab for the wig and slipped it back on, pushing two of the bobby pins into your hair to make sure it would stay in place for the time being. Dread swirled in your stomach, and you prayed feverishly that your brothers hadn’t seen you. You didn’t see them in the crowd. 

Maybe that was a good thing.

You noticed that Quatre was obeying your order and you stayed crouched in front of him, gun at the ready in case anyone dared to move in on you. You breathed a sigh of relief when Heero rounded the corner. 

“We’ll take the side exit,” he said. 

You got to your feet and Quatre did the same. You didn’t dare to look at him as you moved in front of him again and set course for the exit. You knew the driver was probably waiting there. 

You did a quick check of the surroundings before ushering Quatre outside and into the waiting car. You scrambled in after him and Heero followed suit. You swallowed thickly and tried to come up with something to say to break the tense silence that had fallen over the car. 

Heero beat you to it. “Quatre, did you get a good look at him?”

Quatre shook his head. “I did, but I didn’t recognize him.” 

You and Heero exchanged a look. 

“He did recognize Quatre,” you said. “He started moving in as soon as he saw him.” 

“Yeah…” Heero murmured in agreement. “I’ll contact the local Preventer base for the security footage. Maybe we can get something off of that.” 

“Let’s hope so,” you murmured. 

Quatre had turned his gaze to the window and sat brooding in silence. His eyes were narrowed and his lips pressed together into a thin, white line. Tension rolled off of him in waves.

You swallowed thickly and shrunk back into your seat. Nerves and dread swirled wildly in your stomach. Quatre had seen. You bit your lips as a lump formed in your throat. He had seen and it was your own damn fault. If you hadn’t overslept… 

To your utter embarrassment you realized you were close to tears and that didn’t sit well with you. You realized you found yourself in an almost impossible situation. The what ifs swirled madly in your mind. What if Quatre would hold you to the contract? But would he? And what if he decided to send you back to your family? The idea of the repercussions for your actions instilled a deep fear in you. You had damaged your family’s honor. There was no telling what they might do if they ever got their hands on you. The fear made anger rise. For God’s sake, you were six years older and wiser. You were able to hold your own, defend yourself. And if Quatre thought he could easily turn you over to your family, he was wrong. 

The car drew to a halt in front of the Winner mansion and you were out of the car before either of the men could say something. Screw the consequences. You needed to think, and there was only one place that would calm you down now.

On the way you yanked off the sunglasses and the wig and carelessly threw them onto a bench that you passed. Everything had gone to hell already, you thought bitterly. You pulled the braids loose and unraveled your hair, shaking it loose and behind your shoulders. You quickened your pace when you reached the stables and were glad to find none there. The horses were happily munching on their hay, and the sounds coming from the stables calmed you considerably.

“Khali,” you crooned softly.

The stallion whinnied when he heard your voice and stuck his nose over the door, strands of hay sticking out of his mouth. The sight brought a smile to your face and you were quick to approach him. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pressed your face into his shiny coat. A content sigh escaped the horse when he buried his nose in your hair. 

You breathed in the scent of him and relaxed against him. You stood for a moment, letting the scents and sounds around you soothe you into a state of utter calm. From a young age, horses had always had a calming effect on you and now was no exception.

But tension creeped into your shoulders when footsteps entered the stable behind you. 

“I thought I might find you here.” It was Quatre.

“What do you want?” you asked, while turning around.

The suit’s jacket was gone and he had loosened the tie, and the top buttons of his shirt were undone. With the rolled up sleeves and his hands stuck deep into the pockets of his slacks he gave off a very casual vibe that nearly had you sighing in appreciation. But when your eyes met his, and you saw the steely resolve in the aquamarine depths, you knew this conversation would be anything but casual.

“What are you doing here?” he asked

“I’m chilling with my horse,” you said, while raising an eyebrow.

A hint of anger sparked in his gaze and his voice deepened with it. “That’s not what I meant. I meant here, on L4.” 

“Oh…” You shrugged casually, because you somehow felt that ticked him off. And you were itching for a fight. And… him. “I’m doing my job.” 

He snarled. “Don’t play dumb with me, -Y/N-.” 

“I work for Preventer,” you said. “So?” 

“You are -Y/N- -L/N- and you ran away from home six years ago! Why did you come back?” 

“Because I got assigned to you.” 

“Yeah right.” He raked his hands through his hair and the blond locks came to tumble over his forehead. “I think you are here for a different reason.” 

You threw back your head, scornful laughter escaping you. “For what other reason than my job would I go back to L4?” 

Eyes blazing, he stalked towards you, then thought better of it and turned around, pacing up and down aisle between the stables. You watched him, a little fascinated by his obvious struggle to keep reign of his anger. 

“Unless you think I came here fore something else?” you inquired.

He bristled. “Well didn’t you? You disguised yourself and played me for a fool. Did you think it would make me… that it would get me to hold myself to the contract?”

“I disguised myself so my family wouldn’t recognize me,” you deadpanned. “And I had hoped you wouldn’t recognize me either.” 

He snorted humorlessly. “I knew something was off the first time I saw you.” 

You crossed your arms in front of your chest and waited until he halted his pacing. “Go figure.” 

“What other reason would you come to L4 for, other than the contract?” he questioned.

You narrowed your eyes in anger. He seemed utterly intent to believe you had tried to lure him into a trap. 

“You saw all of this and wanted a piece of it, didn’t you?” 

You were snarling in his face the next instant. “How presumptuous of you to think I’d want to marry you!” 

That obviously took him aback. His jaw slackened and his mouth fell open in shock at your biting words. 

“I ran away from home, as you just pointed out. I didn’t want the contract then and I don’t want it now!” you snapped. You were furious, but being so close to him also made lust coil in your belly. It was a potent combination that made your skin tingle. 

“Well, that makes two of us!” 

In your anger you didn’t register his words. “When it comes down to it, I will chose my own man and it will not be you!” 

“Oh really? And you think you’ll have a say in that once your family finds out you’re here?” 

He was so worked up you could see the furious drum of his heart beat beneath the skin in the hollow of his collar bones. It made you squeeze your thighs together uncontrollably. This was bad, you thought. _Really bad._ But you just could’t seem to stop yourself.

“My family has no say in my life. Not anymore.” You jutted out your chin in defiance, daring him to contradict you. “And neither do **you**.”

“You forget you’re on my property.” 

“Fuck you, Quatre.” 

He hissed something unintelligible under his breath, his hold on his anger snapping. The next moment his hand came up to tangle in your hair, and you had no time to think, let alone bring up your hand to slap him in the face, and then he yanked you close, his mouth taking yours in an earth shattering kiss.

**\- End part 2**


End file.
